Superstorm Sandy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The biggest acts in the world of music took the stage at Madison Square Garden for the “12-12-12″ concert Wednesday night, a show to benefit the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band kicked off the biggest musical event in New York City history with “Land of Hope and Dreams,” followed by “Wrecking Ball,” which he wrote about New Jersey and Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands.

He changed one line to, “My home in on the Jersey Shore,” CBS News reported.

Springsteen also brought fellow New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi on stage for a rendition of “Born to Run.”

Later, Roger Waters played a series of Pink Floyd classics, beginning with “The Wall” opening number “In the Flesh?” Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder sang the lines originally intoned by David Gilmour in “Comfortably Numb.”

Bon Jovi later took the stage again for an assortment of his hits, including “Living on a Prayer,” and then teamed with Springsteen for “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?”

Eric Clapton later appeared for a set, beginning with “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” He followed that with a blues-heavy set, including the Cream classic “Crossroads.”

And Jimmy Fallon introduced the Rolling Stones, who played “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and other classics. Afterward, Sean Combs introduced Alicia Keys as she sat in front of a grand piano.

Actor Steve Buscemi then introduced The Who — now composed of Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and drummer Zak Starkey, the son of Ringo Starr. They kicked off a set with “Who Are You?” and also performed “Pinball Wizard” from the rock opera “Tommy,” and their seminal hits “Baba O’Riley,” and “Love, Reign o’er Me.”

Long Island’s Billy Joel then took a seat at the piano and played New York-themed hits “Miami 2017,” “Moving Out” and “New York State of Mind,” plus classics “The River of Dreams, “You May Be Right” and “Only The Good Die Young.”

Comedians Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal and Jon Stewart did sets onstage. Sandler did a snarky rendition of the Leonard Cohen song, “Hallelujah” that went, “Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya, we’ll get through ya.” Stewart’s address was more reverent as he introduced members of the Seaside Heights, N.J., Police Department.

Chris Martin then joined forces with guest performer Michael Stipe to perform hits from Coldplay and REM.

Sir Paul McCartney closed the near-six hour show, taking the place of the late Kurt Cobain alongside his former Nirvana bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. Among the many songs performed were the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” and McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.”

The show was sold out, with all proceeds going toward Sandy relief. Tickets cost $150 to $2,500.

Sandy Victims Watch With Hope

As CBS 2’s Dick Brennan reported, there was eerie quiet in New Dorp, Staten Island, as residents watched the concert. The neighborhood is full of empty, red-tagged homes and has garbage on the streets.

“Seeing it on TV does nothing,” said New Dorp Beach resident Anthony Gambino. “You’ve got to be here. I live this 24/7.”

But inside a tent on a TV with spotty reception, the concert gave Gambino some hope.

“I take it day by day; get up in the morning, and here we are,” he said.

Gambino is sleeping in the tent, after losing all his belongings when Sandy’s storm surge swamped his rented home on Wavecrest Street.

He lost “off the top of my head, $20,000; the car alone was $12,000.”

Gambino said the Federal Emergency Management Administration only chips in pennies. It is enough for his day-to-day survival, but not long-term progress.

On his street, rebuilding seems nonexistent.

Only a few neighbors can actually live there, because their homes were so much higher than the rest when Sandy hit.

“We are alone here,” said one neighbor who could stay, Agnes Knapczyk. ‘We alone on the street.”

The residents said while people enjoyed the spectacle on the stage at Madison Square Garden, they must not forget the devastation that remains and will be here long after the music stops.